Suspended Kagiso Rabada assumes No. 1 bowlers’ ranking

Sporting News – A day after the ICC slapped Kagiso Rabada with a two-Test ban, cricket’s governing body has vaulted the paceman back to the top spot on the Test bowlers’ rankings.

Summary

A day after the ICC slapped Kagiso Rabada with a two-Test ban, cricket’s governing body has vaulted the paceman back to the top spot on the Test bowlers’ rankings.

After claiming player-of-the-match honours in South Africa’s series-levelling six-wicket win over Australia in Port Elizabeth – where he took 11-150 – Rabada soared back to the top of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers.

Josh Hazlewood is fifth on 796 points, while Vernon Philander (8th, 776 points), Mitchell Starc (9th, 772) and Nathan Lyon (10th, 753) are the other bowlers in the South Africa-Australia series to sit inside the top 10.

MORE: James Anderson to retain England vice-captaincy despite Ben Stokes return | South Africa captain Faf du Plessis fires up at Rabada suspensionReturning to the top of the bowlers’ rankings tree may be a positive for Rabada, but his two-match suspension will weaken his side’s pace attack for the final two Tests against Australia.

However, it only got worse for Rabada – he also accepted a Level 1 charge and a further 15 per cent fine of his match fee and one additional demerit point for his send-off of David Warner on day three.